(Wisconsin) Wisconsin Manufacturers and Commerce and Johnson Financial Group are again partnering to host a contest to determine the ‘Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin.’

The popular competition highlights Wisconsin’s robust manufacturing industry, which contributes over $71-billion in total economic output to the state. This year, the contest organizers are refreshing the program with a new logo and rebranded website as a nod to the modernization of the manufacturing industry as a whole.

The ninth annual contest will culminate by crowning a Wisconsin-made product as the Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin. Any product that is manufactured in Wisconsin qualifies for the contest, and nominations are being accepted at the new website made in WIS-dot-com. 

Nominations will be accepted through September 6th. A popular vote will determine the Top 16 products that will be placed in a bracket style tournament called Manufacturing Madness. This year’s Coolest Thing Made in Wisconsin will be announced in Madison on October 17th.  

SAXEVILLE, Wis. (WBAY) – We’re learning new details about missing mail residents from our viewing area are experiencing, causing them to receive late payment notices when they say they paid their bills on time.

Since our story aired earlier this month, more people have reached out to Action 2 News saying they too are missing mail.

Saxeville-Springwater Fire Chief Alex Peterson knew something wasn’t quite right when he spoke with the department’s landscaping company, who accused them of failing to pay their bill for services.

“When he did that I said, ‘Man I swore I paid you,’ and I reached out to my administrative assistant who does all our bill paying and she looked back and said yeah July 3rd I sent out a payment to them,” said Peterson.

The fire department then received late notices from their utility and internet providers before learning a check for $3,000 that was sent to the Poy Sippi Fire Department following a fundraising event never made it to their intended recipients.

Peterson also owns A-J’s Dock Services. He had similar conversations with his customers about not receiving payment for work he did.

“I had customers that sent checks to me that day that I never received and I just actually reached out to them last week and I’m like ‘Hey I never got paid from you,’ and they said ‘Well I sent the check,’ and I asked ‘Was it on July 3rd by chance?’ and it was.”

That’s the same date a Clintonville woman says she mailed out her payment to her utility company but they never got it. She told Action 2 News earlier this month that Clintonville Utilities told her “the mail in two trucks is lost.”

Peterson heard a similar story from his bank after they reached out to multiple post offices in the area, saying mail was lost or stolen at the sorting facility in Milwaukee.

He says he filed a complaint on August 1st with the United States Postal Service Office of the Inspector General, asking to be reimbursed for the $30 check-canceling fee as well as late fees on bills.

USPS responded the next day stating they were going to forward Peterson’s complaint to the Milwaukee sorting facility to do an internal investigation. He has not heard anything since then.

“Things happen, I understand sometimes mail gets lost but if it goes completely missing because somebody stole it well now I’ve got concerns about it because it’s costing us money and potentially stealing people’s identity and social security numbers and everything else that goes through the mail,” said Peterson.

We reached out to USPS again asking specifically what happened. They responded “At this time, I do not have an update on this issue. We’re making every effort to ensure this is resolved as quickly as possible.”

As some USPS customers grow more frustrated with the continued lack of answers, the fire department is now looking into online electronic payments so they don’t have to worry about lost mail again.

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